All posts tagged Shelby Chong

This interview appeared originally in the June issue of The Art of Mary Jane Magazine.

How important is it to go green, how should we contribute to the movement?

I think it is very important that we go green. Look what happened in Japan. We have to change our whole way of thinking and the first thing people can do is stop using plastic. The ocean is being destroyed because of plastic and that’s an easy one to give up. Take a bicycle or just walk. Let’s just change! We have to change because other than that there won’t be an Earth for us to live on, because it is getting destroyed. It’s very sad for the next generation.

What is the most charming thing about Tommy?

His sense of humor, and that he’s crazy. He loves to get high and he’s a genius.

How do you inspire each other?

He helps me write my shows, so when we are on stage we sort of inspire each other to be funnier – to just let go. We study tango together and we dance and just feel the music. He is very spiritual and reminds me of that side of living, where I am a little more materialistic and he is the true hippie in the family.

When did you start pursuing comedy?

It’s been twelve years now that I have been doing standup comedy. I started because Tommy and Cheech split up and Tommy started going on the road by himself. He was lonely and so he said, Shelby come with me. I was an actress then, and I said I will but I just don’t want to hang out in the hotel, so then Tommy said you can start by doing my intro. It grew and grew, then I got to open the show for Cheech and Chong – so that’s really helped my career.

What would you say would be the best approach to the marijuana legalization movement?

Get out and vote! If everybody that smokes pot would vote it would be legalized. How many millions of people smoke pot now? A lot of people don’t admit it, but everybody smokes pot.

The more they research marijuana, the more cures they find. What approach would we need to integrate marijuana as medicine in hospitals?

We would have to get rid of all the pharmaceutical companies because they control it now, because they make a lot of money and they’re not going to make a lot of money off of pot. The whole way of thinking would have to change, or some very rich people would need to get behind pot, and lobby it and give the government money so it gets legal. That is another way, to get some very rich stoners involved.

Why is our thinking so backwards when it comes to healing plants as medicines being used as the main form of treatment?

It all comes down to money. People don’t make money off of plants and that’s what all of America is – it’s all about making money, and that’s what Tommy’s argument is, basically that if we can package it we can tax it.

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